Why has the Chinese government taken strict measures to contain the coronavirus?

By Suvam Pal

Chinese government has taken strict measures to contain the COVID-19 and received remarkable achievements. I have been living in China for almost five years and have been living in Beijing throughout the novel coronavirus outbreak months. In fact, when the coronavirus outbreak first surfaced, the Chinese government came out with an all-out counteroffensive plan to curb the virus spread and has emphatically controlled the spread in China and saved many lives. When China was grappling with the virulent virus in the months of January, February & March the whole world was watching and some of the western media was criticizing the way the Chinese government was handling the COVID-19 crisis. 

On May 18, a children from a kindergarten in Anhui Province presents flowers to medical staff fighting the COVID-19.

However, once the western countries and almost every country on earth got infected by the killer virus, China’s successful containment and the failure of many big economies like the US were quite glaring. Yes, it’s been proven throughout the novel coronavirus pandemic that the Chinese system was quite efficient in dealing with the catastrophic crisis. I think more than the Chinese government’s work to prove their system is better in such a crisis, the Chinese government put more effort to fulfil its commitment to the citizens of the country. Even the foreign nationals staying in China were generously helped and supported by the Chinese administration since China put Wuhan under lockdown on January 23.

In the early days of the novel coronavirus outbreak, China faced a lot of unfair criticism from the west and the world’s most populous nation and its system have already proven their critics wrong with their commitment to the people and the efforts to make people’s lives better. Historically, since Chairman Mao Zedong founded the People’s Republic of China in 1949, improving public healthcare has always been a top priority of the Chinese leadership. Even the current leadership under President Xi Jinping has not only taken the commitment to the public health forward but also bolstered the healthcare sector through his path-breaking Healthy China 2030 vision.

China’s COVID-19 combat has been exemplary in many senses. Apart from its sound public health system, it has highlighted the country’s state-of-the-art engineering, technology, AI, big data, blockchain supremacy, and their innovative and purposeful use in healthcare. The disciplined and dedicated approach of the CPC’s neighborhood committee foot soldiers also played a massive role during the lockdown days and efficiently maintaining social distancing throughout the country in all these COVID-19 affected months. The magnitude of healthcare support in a country of 1.4 billion takes a lot and itself speaks for the Chinese system. It takes a lot to mobilize the billion in the country’s battle against COVID-19 and China has proven that without any effort to play to the gallery. We have seen that during the SARS in 2003 and witnessed that enormous degree of efficiency during the COVID-19 crisis as well. Another significant aspect of China’s fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic is to contain the infodemic. The authorities successfully implemented a strict rule to curb misinformation and the spread of frivolous health updates. 

One could easily perceive the strictness that was the need of the hour in the battle against a pandemic. Therefore, I don’t think that China took strict measures to combat COVID-19 to prove a point to the west but I firmly believe that providing better public health care to its citizens has been a regular and persistent commitment to its people for years and decades. 

(The author is a Beijing-based journalist and documentary filmmaker. The views don’t necessarily represent those of the CCTV.com)